#846: Exposing Cambodia’s Scam Industry & Is S’pore’s Money Behind It? | Shibani Mahtani

Investigative journalist, Shibani Mahtani reveals the darker secrets from inside Cambodia's scam compounds, where 200,000 trafficked workers were freed this year. She traces the industry's hierarchy, the Ugandan worker who escaped and the laundered money flowing back through Singapore's banks.🔔 Enjoyed this one? Please 𝗦𝗨𝗕𝗦𝗖𝗥𝗜𝗕𝗘 to the channel so you don't miss our latest episodes. Every subscriber helps us grow, open doors to new guests, stories, formats or ideas!𝗔𝗱𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝘀Two Part Podcast: Caught in Cambodia’s Scam Machine | NPRShibani Mahtani | LinkedIn𝗧𝗘𝗟𝗟 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗙𝗜𝗥𝗦𝗧 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝟯Catch the all new third season of our edutainment podcast that explores the stories Singapore never taught you in school. This week, we trace the case that pitted a Singaporean photographer against a national art institution, and what it cost her to win.Watch on mewatch | YouTubeListen on melisten | Spotify | Apple𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗦𝗵𝗶𝗼𝗸 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴Haresh: Evolution: Official Trailer | BBCTerence: Did Sony just kill my video game store? | YouTubeShibani Mahtani: Hacks Season 5 | Official Trailer | HBO𝗦𝘂𝗯𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗹𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 – "𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗟𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗕𝗶𝘁” https://yahlahbut.short.gy/subscribeGet a roundup of our One Shiok Things & first dibs on our latest launches delivered straight to your inbox!𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝘀ᴛɪᴋᴛᴏᴋ https://www.tiktok.com/@yahlahbutɪɴꜱᴛᴀɢʀᴀᴍ https://www.instagram.com/yahlahbutꜰᴀᴄᴇʙᴏᴏᴋ https://www.facebook.com/yahlahbutpod𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹𝘀ʀᴇᴅᴅɪᴛ https://www.reddit.com/r/YahLahBut/ᴛᴇʟᴇɢʀᴀᴍ https://t.me/yahlahbutpodcast𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘂𝘀!Drop us an email at [email protected]! We’re always looking out for people to do cool stuff with, so let’s chat!(00:00) Intro(01:31) What Is NPR, and Why It's a Big Deal(02:22) Cambodia's Scam Centers Take Center Stage(04:20) The Crackdown Releases 200,000 People(04:51) Three Years Tracking the Scam Economy(07:37) How Big Is a Scam Compound, Really?(08:40) Inside the Corporate Structure of a Scam Company(12:25) How Recruitment Works, From Managers to Victims(13:45) One Worker's Journey From Uganda(15:47) From Chinese Gambling Sites to a Global Scam Empire(16:27) Nightmare Capitalism: Life Inside the Compound(17:41) The Gong: Celebrating a Successful Scam(18:32) Victim or Perpetrator? The Blurry Line(20:35) What Finally Triggered the Crackdown(22:02) How 200,000 People Ended Up on the Streets(22:46) How Can a Government Be So Complicit?(25:38) Her First Time in a Scam Compound (2024)(27:13) The Scam Economy's Ordinary Vendors and Drivers(28:42) Does This Shake Her Faith in Humanity?(29:56) Is This Just "Robbing the Rich"?(32:33) Was She Ever Afraid to Report This Story?(33:56) Where Journalism Ends and Activism Begins(35:57) Is Singapore More Tied to This Than We Think?(39:04) Why the Syndicates Trusted Singaporeans(41:46) What Dirty Money Really Does to Singapore(43:50) Can You Trust a Singaporean PR Man?(48:18) Would Harsher Punishment Actually Help?(51:32) What Singapore's Banking Laws Get Wrong(52:45) Is She Ever Scared Doing This Work?(55:11) How Journalism Has Changed Under Trump(57:27) Catching the Podcasting Bug(58:54) What's Next: Sri Lanka, East Timor, and Sextortion(59:34) Where AI Fits Into the Scam Industry(1:01:55) Where to Find Shibani's Work(1:02:52) One Shiok Thing(1:09:32) Post-Interview ReflectionsShot on Nikon ZR with NIKKOR Z lenses  | https://www.nikon.com.sg𝘔𝘪𝘤𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 @𝘴𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘌𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘪𝘹𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘛𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘠𝘦𝘢𝘬 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.